Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Marcus Smart recently took part in the Seeds for Peace camp in Maine.  During that time he took a few minutes to chat with CSNNE’s A. Sherrod Blakely about a number of things, the video is below with some bulleted highlights:

• Said he hasn’t talked to Rondo yet
• Said that they’ll both help each other out on the court, that Rondo is a veteran he can learn from
• Rondo is one of the premiere guards in the league
• He’s won a championship so he knows what it takes
• Both share the same desire to win
• For a young guy like himself, to have Rondo on your team to look up to and to help you out is unbelievable
• Says he’s a competitor, but like any young player you have to wait for your time, you have to earn it
• Also discussed playing for the Team USA Select team and how he “definitely” wants to be on the Olympic team at some point
• Talked about the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine, his first trip to the state
• Finally, when asked what fans can expect to see from Smart: “I’m a tough guy, a competitor… and my will to win”

The more you listen to Marcus Smart, the more excited you get to see him develop and grow with the Celtics.  He speaks with the confidence of a 10-year pro and his desire to work hard and be great is evident.  He is definitely one of the bright spots to look forward to upon an impending dark season.

Page 2: The Celtics are projected to finish 12th in the Eastern Conference

ESPN – NBA: 2014 Summer Forecast

There’s not much detail as to why ESPN has picked the Celtics to finish near the bottom of the conference again, but only Orlando, Milwaukee and Philadelphia are projected worse.  This isn’t really a crazy prediction, as the C’s still have an unbalanced roster that isn’t quite assembled or completed yet.  Even if it is close to completion, anywhere from 9th to 12th is about where I’d expect them to finish the season.

And Finally…

Your daily dose of C’s popping up on the social media circuit, including Kelly Olynyk getting ice cream in Cambridge, and a fan sneaking in a photo of Rajon Rondo on an airplane.  Also, Jamey found a rare photo of Rondo with his kid:

The rest of the links:

ESPN Boston – Fan Forecast: Cautiously Optimistic

MassLive – Colton Iverson signs with Spanish team Baskonia

NY Post – Former NBA pro Bill Russell shows a softer side

NBA.com – 2013-14 Celtics Top 10 Plays